Did You Know? • Around half of home fires are caused by cooking accidents • 3 fires a day are started by candles • Every 5days someone dies from a fire caused by a cigarette • Faulty electrics cause around 6000 fires in the home in the UK every year
Simple Electrical Checks Can Save Your Life
Millions of people in the UK expose themselves and their families to potentially fatal electrical accidents in the home by making simple mistakes, down to a lack of knowledge about the dangers of electricity.
It is important to make sure that the electrical installation in your property is well maintained. This is why Hjaltland Housing Association will carry out periodic testing of your fixed electrical installations and fixed equipment using a registered electrical contractor.
Tenants Should:
- Cooperate with and provide access to Hjaltland Housing Association and their contractors to carry out testing at your property. See Property Access Policy.
- Flag electrical problems as soon as they appear, as well as maintain any electrical items you bring into the house.
- Never try to carry out your own electrical repairs.
- Ensure that any of your own electrical appliances are safe. Make sure they are registered with the manufacturer, if there is a recall on safety grounds you will be contacted.
Visual Electrical Checks Tenants Can Make
There are a number of simple, visual checks that you can carry out yourself:
- Make sure that your plug sockets are not overloaded.
- Ensure that plugs and sockets are not damaged
- Check that visible cables and leads are in good condition
- Check that your light fittings are not visibly damaged and that downlighters are in good working condition
- Check that you are not storing combustible materials around your fuse box, electricity meter or electrical intake
- Don’t use the top of the microwave for extra storage
- Never trail cables under carpets or rugs
- Never take mains-powered electrical items into the bathroom
- Always switch off your electrical items when they are not in use
Check that the electrical items in your home have not been recalled by using this online checker Electrical Product Recalls
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